Check-row attachment for corn-planters



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0. s. BEAN. CHECK ROW ATTACHMENT FOR CORN PLAN-TEES. No. 454,150.Patented June 16,1891.

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(No Model) 0. S. BEAN. CHECK ROW ATTACHMENT FOR 001m PLANTERS. No.454,150.

Patented June 16,1891.

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Patented June 16, 1891.

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(No Model.)

0. S. BEAN. GHEGK ROW ATTACHMENT FOR CORN PLANTERS.

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(No Model.) O. S. BEAN.

GHEOK ROW ATTACHMENT FOR CORN PLANTEHS.

Patented June 16,1891;

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UNITED STATES PA'FENT- OFFICE.

CARLTON S. BEAN, OF NUCKOLLS COUNTY, NEBRASKA.

CHECK-ROW ATTACHMENT FOR CORN-PLANTERS.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,150, dated June 16,1891. Application filed November 24, 1890. Serial No. 372,49Q. (N0model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARLTON S. BEAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Nuckolls county, Nebraska, near Davenport,in the county ofThayer and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Check-RowAttachment for Corn-Planters, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to check-row attachments for corn-planters; andit has for its object to provide a device-of this class which shall besimple in construction, andavhich may be readily applied to any ordinarycornplanter that is provided with a reciprocating seed-slide to drop thecontents of the hoppers, and which shall serve as the machine passesover the ground to automatically operate the seed-dropping mechanism andthe marking devices.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the attachment thatthe operation of the marking devices may be timed to take placesimultaneously with the seed-dropping mechanism, thus avoidingirregularities in each subsequent passage of the machine over the field.The importance of check-rowing corn accurately is well understood,inasmuch as without perfect accuracy of this important operation thesubsequent cultivation of the corn is made difficult and liable toinjure the young plants. To avoid difficulties of this kind I have soconstructed my improved check-row attachment that lost motion may becompensated for and perfect regularity of the several operationsinsured.

Vith these several ends in view my invention consists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawingsv hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a plan, partly broken away,of a corn-planter constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isa transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hopper andshoe with my improvement applied. Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspectiveof the bracket 68. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the ear and trackat the rear end of the machine. Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of oneof the trusses for supporting the track] Fig. 7 is a detail view in planof one of the king-links. Fig. 8 is a detail in longitudinal section onthe line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Figs. 9 and 10 are front and rear elevations,respectively, of the seed-slide-operating plate. Fig. 11 is a horizontalsectional view on the line 11 11 of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a transversecentral section through the track and car. Fig. 13 is alongitudinalsectional view through the car, taken on the line 13 13 in Fig. 5.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

1 designates the frame of acorn-planter to which my improvedcheck-rowing device has been attached in position for operation.

2 designates an oblong or elliptical track, which is composed of theparallel side pieces 3 3, connected by the curved ends 4, the entiretrack being preferably constructed of a strip of bar-iron of suitabledimensions bent to the desired shape and set on edge, as will be readilyunderstood by reference to the drawings. This track is provided withsuitable cross-pieces or truss-rods 5, and it is suitably attached inany convenient manner to the longitudinal frame-bars 6 of the machine.

The sides 3 3 of the track are provided near their ends with bearingsfor the shafts 77, carrying sprocket-Wheels 8. The shaft 7 at one end ofthe track is extended through the front side of the latter, and isprovided with a miter-gear 9, meshing with a pinion 10, which is mountedsecurely upon a shaft 11, which is journaled in a bracket 12, extendingforwardly from the front track-bar 3, to which latter it is bolted orotherwise suitably secured.

Suitably keyed upon the shaft 11 is a laterally-sliding sprocket-wheel13, the hub of which is provided on its inner side with anannularly-grooved collar 14 and on its outer side with a clutch member15. The latter is adapted to engage the clutch-collar 16, which isrigidly secured upon the shaft 11. The sprocket-Wheel 13 is connected bya chain 17 with a sprocket-wheel 18, which is suitably attached to oneof the transporting-Wheels 19 of the corn-planter. It will thus be seenthat when the machine is in operation motion may be transmitted from oneof the transportingwheels to the shaft 11 and from the latter to theshafts 7 through the miter-gearing 9 10.

A suitable operating-lever 20, havinga bifurcated end, is arranged toengage the annularly-grooved collar 1-l of the sprocket-wheel 13 inorder to throw the clutch member 15 of the latterinto or out ofengagement with the clutch-collar 16 to regulate the operation of themachine.

Mounted slidingly upon the track 2 is a device which I designate the caror carriage 21, and which is composed of the ends 22 and sides 23, whichlatter are provided at their upper edges with flanges 24, resting uponthe upper edges of the side pieces 3 of the track.

J ournaled in suitable arms orbrackets upon the front sides of thetrack, near the ends of the latter, are the short vertical shafts 25,theupper ends of which carry sprocket-wheels 26. Suitably mounted in theframe of the cornplanter at a point which is conveniently accessible tothe driver is a vertical shaft 28, carrying a sprocket-wheel 29 and acrank or handle 30, by means of which it may be conveniently rotated bythe driver. A chain 31, passing over the sprocket-wheels 29 and 26, hasits ends attached to the ends of the sliding car 21. It will thus beseen that by manipulating the shaft 28 the driver may adjust the saidcar longitudinally upon the track, for the purposes which will behereinafter more fully set forth.

The ends of the frame of the sliding car 21 are provided withvertically-adjustable arms or brackets 32, having bearings for theshafts 33, which are arranged transversely to the frame of the car, butlongitudinally with the frame of the planter. These shafts are providedwith sprocket-wheels 34. The sides of the frame of the car 21 are alsoprovided with bearings for a shaft 35, located centrally between andparallel to the shafts 33. The shaft 35 carries a sprocket-wheel 36,which is journaled loosely thereon, and upon the said shaft, adjacent tothe sides of said sprocketwheel, are secured the ratchet-wheels 37.

Arms or levers 38, having bifurcated inner ends, are pivotally mountedupon the shaft 35 between the ratchet-wheels 37 and the sides 23 of theframe of the car. These levers are provided with pivoted dogs or pawls39, engaging the ratehet-wheels 37 and held in engagement with thelatter by the action of suitably-arranged springs. Springs 40, which arecoiled upon the shaft 35 between the arms of the bifurcated levers 38,also serve to hold the latter normally in a depressed position, withtheir outer or free ends resting upon the upper edge of 'one of the endpieces 22 of the frame of the car.

41 designates a sprocket-chain, the upper portion of which passes overthe sprocketwheels 8, under the sprocket-wheels 3st, and over thesprocket-wheel 36, while the lower portion of said chain passes underthe sprocket-wheels S, and under the sprocket-wheel 30. Thesprocket-wheels 34, it will thus be seen, are simply guide-wheels oridlers that serve to properly guide the said sprocket-chain and to holdthe links of the latter in engagement with the teeth of thesprocket-wheel 30. The brackets in which the shafts of the saidguidesprockets are mounted are also made vertically adjustable, as abovedescribed, in order to enable slack in the chain to be taken up whennecessary.

The chain 41, which is mounted upon the several sprocket-wheels, as justdescribed, and which receives motion through the mitergearing 9 10,shaft 11, and through the sprocket-wheel and clutch mechanism upon thesaid shaft from one of the transporting-wheels 19 of the machine, isprovided at suitable intervals with specially-construeted king-links 42,having laterally-extending flanges 43, adapted to engage the free endsof the bifurcated levers 38, thus raising the latter and causing thepawls of said levers to engage the ratchetwheels 37 and to partly rotatethe shafts upon which the said ratchetwheels are mounted. The said shaft35 is extended through the front side of the frame of the car 21, and isconnected bya universal joint or coupling it with a longitudinal shaft45, the front end of which is in turn connected by a universal joint 46with a short shaft 47, which is suitably journaled in a, plate 48, thatis bolted or otherwise attached to one of the cross-bars of the frame ofthe corn-planter between the seed-boxes or hoppers 49. The sides oredges of the plate 48 are provided with flanges 49', forming bearingsfor the vertically-sliding plates 50, having pins or studs 51 extendingrearwardly through slots 52 in the plate 48'. The studs 51 are connectedin rear of said plate by springs 53, serving to draw the said platesclosely together. The shaft 47 carries at its front end an ellipticalplate or cam 54, which is fitted between the sliding plate 50, the inneredges of which are fitted to the sides of said elliptical cam. Thelatter has a slot 55, in which is mounted an adjustable wrist-pin 56,connected by a pitman 57 with the seed-slide 58 of the cornplanter,which is in this manner operated.

Suitably attached to the front sides of the shoes or runners 59 of thecorn-planter is a transverse shaft 60, upon the ends of which areadjustably mounted the arms or handles 61 of the markers 62, said armsor handles being provided with series of perforations 63 for connectionwith the said shaft. The markers 62 are made reversible, and areprovided at opposite ends with sharp edges or points M and with bluntheads 65, either of which may be used for marking purposes, according tothe nature of the soil.

Suitably mounted upon the seed-spouts 66 are the vertically-adjustablesleeves 67, having brackets 68, provided with vertical slots 69 and withlaterallyextending arms 70. Loosely mounted in the slots 69 are thelevers 71, the outer ends of which have downwardly-extending arms 72, towhich are pivotally connected the markers 62 by means 0f the pins orbolts 73. The inner ends of the le vers 71 are extended over a link orcross-bar 74, which is suitably mounted upon the shaft 47 in rear of theplate 48. Springs 75 connect the levers 71 with the arms 70, extendinglaterally from the brackets '68 for the purpose of holding the innerends of the said levers normally in position for operation in contactwith the upper side of the link or cross-bar 74.

The operation and advantages of my improved check-rowing attachment willbe readily understood from the foregoing description, taken inconnection with the drawings hereto annexed.

The apparatus which comprises my invention may be readily attached bymeans of bolts, clips, or other well-known devices to the frame of anycorn-planter to which it is applicable. Motion is transmitted from oneof the transporting-wheels 19 of the machine to the endlesssprocket-chain 41, which is guided over the sprocket-wheels 8, 34, and36, to which latter motion is thus transmitted. The flanged king-linksof the said chain will intermittently engage the free ends of thebifurcated levers 38, thus imparting through the said levers, the pawls39, and ratchetwheels 37 a partial rotary motion to the shaft 35 andthrough the latter and the universally-jointed connection 45 to theshaft 47. The pitman 57, connected with the cam 54 upon the said shaft47, will impart an inter mittent reciprocating motion to the seed-slide58, thus operating the seed-dropping mechanism, which may be of anywell-known construction, and which does not form a part of the presentinvention; It is of course essential to the successful operation of thedevice that the shaft 47 should make exactlya onehalf revolution at eachoperation. This is accomplished by the action of the springactuatedplates 50, that engage the elliptical cam 54, and which, if the one-halfrevolution of the shaft 47 should not be completed by the action of thesprocket-chain engaging the operating -levers 38, will be drawn towardeach other by the action of the connecting-springs 53 as soon as thedead-center of the elliptical cam has been passed, thus completingthesemi-revolution of the shaft 47. The throw of the seed-slide may beregulated by properly adjusting the wristpin 56 in the slot 55 of theelliptical cam 54. Vhen the shaft 47 is operated, the link or cross-bar74 of the said shaft will engage the under sides of the inner ends ofthe levers 71, forcing the latter in an upward direction against thetension of the springs 75 and depressing the outer ends of said levers,which are pivotally connected with the markers, which latter are thusforced downward into the ground, making the marks which are to indicatethe path to be traveled by the maaction may be attained by adjusting thecar 21 to either side of a central line, thus causing the king-links ofthe sprocket-chain to engage the operating-levers 3S sooner or later,

as may be found necessary. This adjustment may be very easily andquickly accomplished by the driver by means of the shaft having thecrank 30.

The general construction of my improved check-row attachment is verysimple and inexpensive, and it may, as above set forth, be

very easily applied to corn-planters of ordinary construction. Thelateral adjustment of the car 21 upon the track on which it is mountedis made possible owing to the ar-,

ran gement of the universally-jointed connection between the shaft 35 ofthe said car and the shaft 47, which serves to actuate the seeddroppingmechanism and the marking mechanism.

adj ustably upon the said track, a shaft mount- 3 ed inthe saidcarriage, means for intermittently operating the said shaft, and meansfor transmitting motion from the latter to the seed-dropping and markingmechanisms of the planter, substantially as set forth.

2. In a check-rowing attachment for cornplanters, the combination of asuitable supporting-track, a car or carriage mounted adjustably upon thelatter, a shaft mounted in the said carriage, a sprocket-wheel mountedloosely uponthe said shaft, ratchet-wheels mounted upon said shaftadjacentto the sides of the sprocket-wheels, the levers mountedpivotally upon said shaft and having dogs or pawls engaging the saidvratchetwheels, an endless sprocket-chain having flanged links adaptedto engage the levers having the dogs or pawls, suitable supporting andguiding wheels for the said chain, and means for transmitting motion tothe latter from one of the transporting-wheels of the machine, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of thesupporting-track, the car or carriage mounted adjustably upon thelatter, the shafts mounted verticallyat the ends of the track and havingsprocketwheels,a vertical shaft provided with a crank at its upper endand a suitably-located sprocketwheel, a chain passing over the latterand over the sprocket-Wheels upon the vertical shafts at the ends of thetrack and having its ends connected with the ends of the car orcarriage, the intermittently-revoluble shaft journaled in the latter,means for transmitting motion to said shaft from one of the transporting-wheels of the machine, and means for transmitting motion fromsaid shaft to the seed-dropping and marking mechanisms, sub

stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of thesupporting-track having parallel sides with the car having flanged sidessupported upon said track, the vertically-adjustable brackets mountedupon the ends of said car and having shafts provided withsprocket-wheels, the shafts journaled in the sides of the track near theends of the latter and having the sprocket-wheels, means fortransmitting a rotary motion to one of said end shafts from one of thetransporting-wheels of the machine, a sprocket-wheel mounted looselyupon a shaft journaled in the sides of the car, the ratchet-wheelsmounted securely upon said shaft, the spring-actuated levers mountedupon said shaft adjacent to the ratchet-wheels and having pawls engagingthe latter, the endless chains having the king-links provided withlaterally-extending flanges to engage the spring-actuated levers and toimpart an intermittent rotary n10- tion to the shaft carrying the saidlevers and the ratchet-wheels, and means for transmitting motion fromthe said shaft to the seeddropping and marking mechanisms, substantiallyas set forth.

5. I11 a device of the class described, the combination, with a suitablesupporting-track, of the carriage mounted adjustably upon the same andhaving the intermittently-revoluble shaft, and mechanism fortransmitting motion from the latter to the seed-dropping and markingmechanisms and for adjusting the car or carriage upon the track,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of thesupporting-track, the adj ustable car or carriage having theintermittently-revoluble shaft, means, substantially as described, foradjusting the carriage and for transmittin motion. to theintermittentlyrevoluble shaft from one of the transportingwheels of themachine, a shaft having a cam provided with a wrist-pin connected by apitman with the seed-slide, a cross-bar or link engaging the inner endsof the markinglevers,and aconnecting-rod having its ends connected byuniversal joints or couplings with the rear end of the latter shaft andwith the front end of the intermittently-revoluble shaft in theadjustable carriage, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of the supportingtrack, the car or carriage mountedadjnstably upon the latter, the vertically-adjustable brackets upon theends of said car, having shafts provided with sprocket-wheels, theshafts journaled in the sides of the track near the ends of the same andhaving sprocket-wheels, a bevel-Wheel mounted upon one of said shafts, ashaft journaled in. a suitable bracket upon the front side of the trackand having a bevel- Whccl, a fixed clutch-collar, a laterally-slidingsprocket-wheel provided with a clutch member, means for adjusting saidsprocketwheel, a chain connecting the latter with a sprocket-wheel uponone of the transportingwheels, an endless sprocket-chain having theflanged king-links to transmit an intermittent rotary motion to theshaft journaled in the sides of the carriage, and means for transmittingmotion from the said shaft to the seed-dropping and marking mechanisms,substantially as set forth.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of the sup)orting-track, the ad j ustable car or carriage having theintermittently-revoluble shaft, a frame or plate provided with verticalflanges, a shaftjournaled in said plate and having its rear endconnected by a universally-jointed coupling-rod with the front end ofthe intermittently-revoluble shaft in the adjustable carriage, anelliptical cam mounted upon the shaft journaled in the flanged plate orframe, the plates mounted slidingly in the latter and having curvedinner edges and rearwardly-extending studs projecting through slots inthe flanged frame or plate, the springs connecting therearwardly-extending studs of the sliding plates, a wrist-pin mountedadjustably in a slot in the elliptical cam, a pitman connecting saidWrist-pin with the seed-s1ide,a crossbar mounted upon the longitudinalshaft in rear of the elliptical cam, and the markinglevers engaged andoperated by the said crossbar, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

9. In. a device of the class described, the combination of a cross-barattached to the runners of the planter, the marking-hoes mountedadjustably upon said cross-bar, the sleeves or collars mountedadjustably upon the seed-spouts and having brackets provided withvertical slots and laterally-extending arms, the levers mounted looselyin said slots and having their outer ends connected pivotally with themarkers, the springs connecting said lovers with the laterally-extendingarms of the supporting-brackets, and the intermittently-revoluble shafthaving a link or cross-bar arranged under and adapted to engage theoverlapping inner ends of the levers, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARLTON S. BEAN.

\Vitnesses:

W. A. WHITE, W. K. BEAN.

